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Monday, June 12, 2017

Moving Up in the World with Less Pressure

One thing I have learned from being a Tournament Director of a handicapped tour and also from my own experience moving up levels in different divisions of leagues, is pressure is relieved when we move up.

Players actually appreciate and thank me from the bottom of their hearts after I move them up.

But it's the players who were getting picked on by their friends that thanked me. And, the ones who already knew they should have been moved up that thanked me. Why would they thank me, though? Wouldn't we all want to play at a lower level and take advantage of the situation?

It's not just them being released from hazing anymore by their friends that makes them thankful - it's also because there is less pressure on their backs. And what happens when we feel less pressure? Yep, we play better!

There are two particular players that were borderline between a 6 and 7 that I received a lot of complaints about the last few years. More than most players.

And they would finish well several times in Omega Tour stops, but not capture the all-allusive first place prize. But, a top 6 finish a few times during the year for sure.

Each time they would not place real high or win, they would of course always be upset. Further, their friends would pick on them more:

"You have this stop sealed being a 6."

"You should win every one of them as a 6."

"You know you should a 7."

"Why aren't you capitalizing on not being a 7 yet?"

Crap like that.

At the end of these two particular years of these borderline players, I moved them up to a 7. And afterwards, I heard SUCH sincere thanks from them! They said they aren't picked on anymore lol but what they noticed MORE was they had less pressure on them (i.e, felt less pressure). While hesitant at first how they would do now that they were moved up, they both noticed (and shared with me) that they felt so much less pressure that they happily discovered they still played well and finished well!

Being moved up is a mental status psychology thing we put ourselves through. Friends (and enemies) really actually haze us for being where we are in the pecking order if they strongly feel it's incorrect, and when we get moved up, tho, we at first freak out a bit, but then see it's exactly where we belong; just as everyone said and just as we secretly thought.

It lifts the pressure and we play well. And, we still finish well.

Even after the Omega Tour implemented using the Fargo Ratings to handicap players (in Jan of this year), several borderline players were moved up and several confided they felt like there was less pressure on them now.

Pretty wild, huh?

But let's face it - the mentally tough players feel less pressure. The players who are strong and confident in their game still play with passion and gusto (eventually) after being moved up. The scared and timid players falter. Who do you want to be like?